At that moment, the scene before my eyes vanished. Just as I was surprised, in an instant, I found myself standing in a large courtyard.
With a creak, the door to a room in front of me opened. I looked around, puzzled by everything here—it all felt strangely familiar. The weather was cold; it was a night of wind, flowers, and snow.
Suddenly, I seemed to remember—I had seen all of this before. This was the Henderson Family's courtyard. I swallowed hard and looked over. It was Maggie Mute, John Chou's mother. She was cradling a baby boy in her arms, nursing him. The infant looked very sickly, his tiny face not even the size of a palm. It seemed a month had already passed, yet John Chou had only grown to half the normal size of a baby, still frail and weak.
I quietly watched Maggie Mute. Her eyes were filled with tender affection for the boy. Suddenly, I heard a crash—the sound of dishes shattering. Maggie Mute looked up toward the main house, her eyes tinged with sorrow.
The scene shifted instantly to the main house. Zane Zhuang stood in the center of the hall with his head bowed. Everyone from the Henderson Family was present. The family patriarch, Henry Henderson—John Chou's grandfather—was glaring furiously at Zane Zhuang. Victor Fan was also quietly observing from the side, saying nothing. The whole room was abuzz with discussion.
On the night John Chou and Isabelle Frost were separated at birth, some servants witnessed it. The maid serving Maggie Mute leaked the secret, causing outrage throughout the Henderson Family. Zane Zhuang had already sent the baby girl to Qiland and had just returned.
"Speak, Zane Zhuang! Who told you to do this? That was our family's young lady—why did you steal her and send her away?"
Henry Henderson was on the verge of exploding with rage. He’d already been troubled lately: the Henderson Family’s eldest son, John Chou, had nearly died. The family spared no effort and finally managed to save his life, but he was still frail—much weaker than a normal infant.
Zane Zhuang’s face was grave; he refused to speak. Henry Henderson paced the room, while Victor Fan remained silent, not uttering a single word. Only Wu Zheng, Victor Fan, and Zane Zhuang knew the truth. No one expected that the maid had kept watch outside that night and saw many things, especially about the two babies.
“Guards, take him away and lock him in the woodshed!”